Green Ghana Project: Plant trees with road safety in mind

The National Road Safety Authority associates with the Green Ghana Project of the Forestry Commission, under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

The Authority, in collaboration with the COVID-19 National Trust Fund, will engage communities along the Nsawam-Suhum highway tomorrow, Friday 10th June, 2022 in an outreach for adherence to road safety and COVID-19 protocols and to plant over 1,000 trees within the communities in support of the national call under the Green Ghana Initiative by the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to restore degraded landscapes in the country, mitigate climate change and inculcate the values of planting and nurturing trees among the citizenry.

The Authority wishes to inform individuals, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Corporate Organizations and the general public especially those with intent to plant trees along or near the road that the best way to avoid road traffic crashes with trees is to keep trees a safe distance from the road-side.

While the Authority encourages the general public to take part in the 2022 Green Ghana Day, it advises that the trees must be planted only at locations where the trees do not impede the driver/rider's visibility and are not likely to be struck by a vehicle.

The Authority further advises that, persons who intend to plant trees along the road must avoid planting so close to, or near the road. The Authority provides the following to guide the public in the exercise:

I. Spacing between two trees in a row along the road should be 9m to 12m

2. Trees should be at least 12m apart from the centre of the carriageway

3. Trees that grow up to 30ft (10m) should be planted at least 3 to 4ft (lm) from sidewalks.

4. Trees that grow 30 to 50ft (10-lSm) tall should be planted 5 to 6ft (1.S-2m) from sidewalks

5. Trees that grow more than 50ft (15m) high should be planted at least 8ft (2.Sm) from
sidewalks

6. Any tree trunk which will achieve a diameter greater than 77mm in due course should be located at a substantial distance from the edge of the road, advisedly a minimum of 20m from the carriageway, and farther where travel speeds are greater than S0km/h.

The National Road Safety Authority wishes all Ghanaians a crash-free Green Ghana exercise.

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